Chocolate Sour Cream Fudge

1. Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the sugars, corn syrup, sour cream and salt in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cover the pan and bring it to a boil.

3. Once the mixture is boiling, remove the lid and insert a candy thermometer. Continue boiling the mixture without stirring until the thermometer reaches 238 degrees.

4. Once the proper temperature is reached, immediately thermometer and take the pan off the heat. Set the pan on a wire rack and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate and vanilla on top. Do not stir the fudge! This will cause sugar crystals to form and will make your fudge grainy.

5. Allow the fudge to cool down until it reaches about 175 degrees. Depending on the temperature of your room, this should take about 15 minutes.

6. Once the fudge has cooled to the proper temperature, remove the candy thermometer. Vigorously stir the fudge with a wooden spoon (this is often called beating the fudge) until it thickens and loses its glossy appearance. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Alternately, you can pour the fudge into the bowl of a stand mixer and use a paddle attachment to beat the fudge. This process is usually faster but runs the risk of overbeating the fudge.

7. As soon as you notice the fudge has thickened and is not glossy, scrape the fudge into the prepared pan. It has now begun to set, so don’t wait too long or you will have solid fudge in your bowl! Smooth the top of the fudge into an even layer, and allow the fudge to set at room temperature, for about 2 hours.

8. Once the fudge is completely set, cut it into small 1-inch squares to serve. Chocolate sour cream fudge can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.